Junior Great Books (JGB)

Junior Great Books is an enrichment program available to students in grades 2-5. During the winter months, students read a short story weekly and then meet during recess in small groups to discuss the story. The meetings take place once a week for seven or eight weeks starting January 2019. The reading groups, led by parent volunteers, aim to improve critical thinking, reading comprehension, speaking, listening, and overall reading enjoyment.

At the end of the school year, all JGB participants are recognized in the all school assembly.

Registration for the 2018-19 school year is now closed. Thank you for your support!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Junior Great Books?

Junior Great Books is a national program that moves students toward excellence in reading comprehension, critical thinking, and writing. It is organized by a nonprofit group, The Great Books Foundation, which publishes collections of classic and modern texts. More information about The Great Books Foundation can be found at www.greatbooks.org.

What are the benefits of participating in JGB at OLV?

There are several benefits to participating. First, the program aims to improve reading comprehension, “thinking outside the box,” speaking, listening and overall reading enjoyment. Second, your child will be exposed to new and different types of literature that are outside of his or her OLV reading class. JGB also provides an excellent structured activity during the winter recess time period when the recess is often held indoors!

What is a typical session like?

At each session, the leader will prepare a discussion question based on the weekly selection. Each student will be asked to write his/her answer to the question, or to think about how to answer the question. A discussion about the question will follow. The leader is trained to facilitate the discussion, highlighting that there is no right or wrong answer, and to encourage the children to use the text to support their answers.

How much extra time per week will be required?

The amount of time required per week depends on the child, the grade level, and the particular selection for that week. We do ask that the parent read the selection once with the child, and that the child reads a second time on his or her own to highlight and make notes about the selection. You can probably count on at least an extra hour of reading, and sometimes two hours with the older grades.

Who are the leaders?

The leaders are parent volunteers who have been trained on how to lead the discussions. Leaders are trained to encourage participation from all students, to emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers, and to ask children to find evidence from the selection to support their opinions.

What if my child misses a session or does not read the selection?

Besides illnesses or planned absences, we allow your child to miss only one session. Additionally, if your child does not read the selection, she or he should not attend that weekly session. When one child comes to the group without reading the story, it can sometimes detract from the discussion, and make that child feel left out from not participating.

What does the fee cover?

The fee covers the cost of the book and shipping fees, supplies to run the program, and a small reward for the students who successfully complete the program. If you have a used book (passed down from a student from last year), the fee is $8. New books cost $25.

What types of stories will my child read?

There are a wide variety of short stories in each JGB grade level series. There are typically classics, folk tales, fables and short stories by well-known authors. These selections are organized by The Great Books Foundation to enhance thinking skills. We use the textbook that is published for the second semester for each grade.